Over the past 20 winters, Kilham has had, on average three to five orphaned cubs hibernating in an enclosure near his home, deep in the woods behind Holt's Ledge.

The food bills have been minimal, because they slept through the season.

But this year, because so many sows were shot in chicken coops and bee hives across the state, searching for scarce food, Kilham has a problem.

They are waking each other up, playing in the trees within the 8-acre fence, burning up the calories and running up a huge bill on Kibbles 'n Bits.

While Kilham received donations from residents in places like Shelburne, Tamworth and Moultonborough where the cubs were orphaned, and did receive one $2,500 grant from the New Hampshire Wildlife Heritage Foundation, it's been spent already on steam-flaked corn and dog food.

He estimates this year it will cost $1,000 per cub to get them through to June.

Kilham said it would be helpful for people to send a few dollars to the Bear Hill Conservancy to help get the cubs through.

Images: Man taking care of 27 orphan bear cubs in NH

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Over the past 20 winters, Ben Kilham has had, on average, three to five orphaned cubs hibernating in an enclosure near his home, deep in the woods behind Holt's Ledge.

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